Beauty and The Beast Diamond Edition Now Available

19 years ago Beauty and the Beast reignited the studio’s magic after a drought of forgettable animated features in the ’80s. The Academy of Motion Pictures took notice and nominated this movie as the first animated film to ever get an Oscar nod for Best Picture.

Set in and around a quaint French village during the late 18th century, Beauty and the Beast follows the fantastic adventures of Belle, a bright and beautiful young woman who finds escape from her ordinary life, and the advances of a boorish suitor, Gaston, by reading books. Meanwhile, off in a castle in the distance, a cruel young prince is cast under the spell of an enchantress who turns him into a tormented beast, while transforming his servants into animated household objects. In order to remove the curse, the Beast must discover a true love who will return his affection before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose. When Belle’s inventor father stumbles upon the Beast’s castle and is taken prisoner, Belle comes to the rescue and agrees to take her father’s place. With the help of the castle’s enchanted staff, she sees beneath the Beast’s exterior and discovers the heart and soul of a human prince.

Re-released this month as a Diamond Edition which includes both DVD and Blu-ray formats ($39.99 MSRP), Disney delivers the magic on this 1.78:1 transfer of the beloved film. The opening drawings are beautiful, with eye-popping colors and vivid details. The film’s musical numbers and dialogue sound crisp and powerful due to the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track.

For the completist, three versions of Beauty and the Beast are included on the Blu-ray disc. That includes the theatrical release, an extended release, and the theatrical version of the movie with picture-in-picture storyboards. The latter is an interesting marriage of the movie with some of the film’s original, unfinished artwork.

Aside from the three versions of the film, there’s also an audio commentary with producer Don Hahn and directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, as well as a Sing Along Track.

Two fun games are included, “Bonjour – Who Is This?” and “Enchanted Musical Challenge.” A highlight extra is “Beyond Beauty,” a feature-length documentary that delves into the creation and history of Beauty and the Beast. Relive the magic of this wonderful picture and share it with your children…be our guest!